Genetic variation and seasonal migratory connectivity in Wilson’s warblers (Wilsonia pusilla): species-level differences in nuclear DNA between western and eastern populations

There is growing interest in understanding patterns of seasonal migratory connectivity between breeding and wintering sites, both because differences in migratory behavior can be associated with population differentiation and because knowledge of migratory connectivity is essential for understanding the ecology, evolution, and conservation of migratory species. We present the first broad survey of geographic variation in the nuclear genome of breeding and wintering Wilson’s warblers (Wilsonia pusilla), which have previously served as a research system for the study of whether genetic markers and isotopes can reveal patterns of migratory connectivity. Using 153 samples surveyed at up to 257 variable amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, we show that Wilson’s warblers consist of highly distinct western and eastern breeding groups, with all winter samples grouping with the western breeding group. Within the west there is weak geographic differentiation, at a level insuffic...

学界对阐明繁殖地与越冬地间的季节性迁徙连通模式的关注度与日俱增：一方面，迁徙行为差异可与种群分化相关联；另一方面，掌握迁徙连通性（migratory connectivity）知识对于理解迁徙物种的生态学、演化及保护工作至关重要。本研究首次针对繁殖种群与越冬种群的威尔逊莺（Wilson's warbler, Wilsonia pusilla）的核基因组地理变异开展大范围调查；此前该物种已被用作探究遗传标记与同位素能否揭示迁徙连通模式的实验体系。本研究基于153份样本，对至多257个多态性扩增片段长度多态性（amplified fragment length polymorphism, AFLP）标记进行分型分析，结果显示威尔逊莺可分为分化程度极高的西部繁殖种群与东部繁殖种群，且所有越冬样本均与西部繁殖种群聚类。西部种群内部则存在微弱的地理分化，其分化程度不足以……